Here the catch: just because it isn’t a seemingly vital piece of your kitchen doesn’t mean it’s an easy swap. In fact, undoing the customization and permanence of a kitchen backsplash can feel overwhelming and daunting. Add a few mental images of chipping away at stubborn backsplash tiles and you may have one the messiest kitchens you can imagine.

While countertops, flooring and cabinets are generally places to keep it simple, the backsplash is a good place to inject some personal style, whether that’s with a mosaic feature or a bold color. And since that wall literally connects the countertops with the cabinets it’s also a place to tie everything together.